You rallied behind the Oilers pathetic model to rebuild but yet when the Esks match that model to a 'T' you have a problem with it.

Interesting.

Not really.

Because what the Eskimos aren't doing is a rebuild. It's just losing with no direction. At least in the NHL you get a shiny draft pick. In the CFL you have to be a special kind of pathetic to be where the Eskimos are right now.

You ever heard the saying "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut?" Well the Eskimos squirrel is road pizza on the QE2.

So how is the Oilers model different than this? Are you suggesting the Oilers were losing with direction?

Because like I said, you get a shiny draft pick in the NHL.

In the CFL you get a "maybe".

You don't rebuild in the CFL. Either you're good or you're not.
It's an 8 team league, it shouldn't be that hard to at least be competitive. But they're not even that. It's just masked by a bunch of late rallies that fall short.

Please explain to me what the Eskimos are currently doing. Because it's not rebuilding. It's just sucking. If you have to rebuild in a league where 75% of the teams make the playoffs you probably deserve to be relegated.

You don't rebuild in the CFL. Either you're good or you're not.
It's an 8 team league, it shouldn't be that hard to at least be competitive. But they're not even that. It's just masked by a bunch of late rallies that fall short.

Please explain to me what the Eskimos are currently doing. Because it's not rebuilding. It's just sucking. If you have to rebuild in a league where 75% of the teams make the playoffs you probably deserve to be relegated.

The point I am trying to make is that the Oilers 'just sucked' which is exactly what the Eskimos are doing.

The only difference is that there is a greater potential reward in the NHL.

Aside from that there is no difference in the strategy of the 2 teams. The results are both due to incompetence.

The Oilers are no better than the Eskimos in terms of this so called 'directed' rebuild as you put it.
Both teams should be held to the same standard.

The point I am trying to make is that the Oilers 'just sucked' which is exactly what the Eskimos are doing.

The only difference is that there is a greater potential reward in the NHL.

Aside from that there is no difference in the strategy of the 2 teams. The results are both due to incompetence.

The Oilers are no better than the Eskimos in terms of this so called 'directed' rebuild as you put it.
Both teams should be held to the same standard.

But in the NHL you build via the draft and free agent signings. In the CFL it's not like that. especially not as far as the draft is concerned. More often than not players are imports or trade bait. In fact all three of Calgary's QBs come from elsewhere.

And we all know that the Oilers didn't "choose" to suck until reality finally smacked them in the face in 2010.

The Eskimos organization aren't even on the same page, much less the same book.

The leagues are different, thus different standards. If this were the NFL we might not be griping about a 1-9 team so much because there are other teams doing just as poorly. In this case it's only one. And the top picks are usually impact players in the NFL.

The CFL has no such luxury. If you suck you suck. The Eskimos haven't done diddly squat since '05. That's even longer than the Oilers.

But in the NHL you build via the draft and free agent signings. In the CFL it's not like that. especially not as far as the draft is concerned. More often than not players are imports or trade bait. In fact all three of Calgary's QBs come from elsewhere.

And we all know that the Oilers didn't "choose" to suck until reality finally smacked them in the face in 2010.

The Eskimos organization aren't even on the same page, much less the same book.

The leagues are different, thus different standards. If this were the NFL we might not be griping about a 1-9 team so much because there are other teams doing just as poorly. In this case it's only one. And the top picks are usually impact players in the NFL.

The CFL has no such luxury. If you suck you suck. The Eskimos haven't done diddly squat since '05. That's even longer than the Oilers.

With the Eskimos there's nothing. No prospects on the way, no up and comers, nothing.

At least Lowe and co never gave Pat Quinn or Tom Renney an extension for winning one freaking game.

Usually when a new GM comes in he attempts to clean up the mess of the previous GM, not make it worse.

That's not an issue in this bloody league if you have competent management and coaching in place. Teams re-tool year to year. The bloody Riders were 8-10 last year and 5-13 the year before following three straight good seasons where they went to the Grey Cup twice.

Their starting QB through four out of those five seasons? Darian Durant.

Personally I don't think that the Eskimos' situation is as perilous as the Oilers'. Hervey needs to wise up, sack Reed and his coaching staff and tear down the team's defense.

That's not an issue in this bloody league if you have competent management and coaching in place. Teams re-tool year to year. The bloody Riders were 8-10 last year and 5-13 the year before following three straight good seasons where they went to the Grey Cup twice.

Their starting QB through four out of those five seasons? Darian Durant.

Personally I don't think that the Eskimos' situation is as perilous as the Oilers'. Hervey needs to wise up, sack Reed and his coaching staff and tear down the team's defense.

The problem here is that Hervey is making things worse. At least in the NHL you can turn to your minor league team or whatever and find hope.

With the Eskimos current state, even simple things seem impossible. Kavis Reed obviously should be gone, but is it that obvious to Hervey? How do the Eskimos go from having one of the league's premier defenses to swiss cheese in a single season?

The fact that management has been a downgrade ever since Macocia is very, very alarming.

The problem here is that Hervey is making things worse. At least in the NHL you can turn to your minor league team or whatever and find hope.

With the Eskimos current state, even simple things seem impossible. Kavis Reed obviously should be gone, but is it that obvious to Hervey? How do the Eskimos go from having one of the league's premier defenses to swiss cheese in a single season?

The fact that management has been a downgrade ever since Macocia is very, very alarming.

Well, if I was in Hervey's position I'd be extremely pissed that Reed undermined my authority this week. So yeah, maybe Hervey's a joke and his leadership should be in question.

But in the NHL you build via the draft and free agent signings. In the CFL it's not like that. especially not as far as the draft is concerned. More often than not players are imports or trade bait. In fact all three of Calgary's QBs come from elsewhere.

And we all know that the Oilers didn't "choose" to suck until reality finally smacked them in the face in 2010.

The Eskimos organization aren't even on the same page, much less the same book.

The leagues are different, thus different standards. If this were the NFL we might not be griping about a 1-9 team so much because there are other teams doing just as poorly. In this case it's only one. And the top picks are usually impact players in the NFL.

The CFL has no such luxury. If you suck you suck. The Eskimos haven't done diddly squat since '05. That's even longer than the Oilers.

With the Eskimos there's nothing. No prospects on the way, no up and comers, nothing.

At least Lowe and co never gave Pat Quinn or Tom Renney an extension for winning one freaking game.

Usually when a new GM comes in he attempts to clean up the mess of the previous GM, not make it worse.

You completely missed my point GK.

Sucking due to incompetence is has nothing to do with the potential reward.
Both management teams were incompetent...the Oilers Management just happened to get rewarded for their incompetence.
That was just due to dumb luck...not some genius plan.

As for extending coaches...Lowe got promoted which is worse than just an extension.

So yes...Oiler management is just as bad maybe worse then Eskimo management.

When it comes to our main 2 pro sports teams we in Edmonton (who are old enough) do a fair amount of pointing to the glorious past to make us feel somewhat better about the horrible present. Last night as I sat in the upper reaches of Commonwealth watching rookie John White drop a sure TD pass effectively pissing away any chance his hapless team had of winning, I wasn't thinking about all of the great former Eskimo running backs I've seen who would have caught that ball.

What was this loyal 40+ year season ticket holder thinking at that moment? "Stop punishing myself by buying tickets?" "Fire the coaches, GM, team president, board of governors, etc.?" No. My first thought at that very moment was: "Can our crappy kicker de jour make the chip shot FG to at least keep this close?". After O'Neill made it my thoughts went more big picture to "Stop kidding yourself and let the player airlift begin!". All the necessary firings can wait until the end of the season because this one's now effectively a write off.

My first year going to the games was with my dad as a 10 year old in 1971. That team started 1 and 10, brought in a bunch of NFL cuts, and won its last 5 games. Despite the terrible start and missing the playoffs, GM Norm Kimball and head coach Ray Jauch (CFL Coach of the Year in 1970) kept their jobs until the next season when the fantastic 34 season in a row playoff run (featuring 10 Grey Cups) began. I'm not saying that the current regime should get a similar pass if the Eskimos turn it around and win 5 or 6 of their remaining 8 games in 2013. Deciding about coaches and managers is what the off-season is for. The rebuilding of the currently not good enough import core of players on this roster (White, Marcel Young, TJ Hill, the o-line, etc., etc., etc.) is where it could and should begin immediately.

If the beginning of the needed fix doesn't happen right now, that's the biggest sign that we probably have the wrong GM (again!). I think Hervey's the right guy but I've been wrong before. I'm very interested to see how this plays out.

But in the NHL you build via the draft and free agent signings. In the CFL it's not like that. especially not as far as the draft is concerned. More often than not players are imports or trade bait. In fact all three of Calgary's QBs come from elsewhere.

And we all know that the Oilers didn't "choose" to suck until reality finally smacked them in the face in 2010.

The Eskimos organization aren't even on the same page, much less the same book.

The leagues are different, thus different standards. If this were the NFL we might not be griping about a 1-9 team so much because there are other teams doing just as poorly. In this case it's only one. And the top picks are usually impact players in the NFL.

The CFL has no such luxury. If you suck you suck. The Eskimos haven't done diddly squat since '05. That's even longer than the Oilers.

We have a bunch of players that look like they are not even worthy of high school football.

Our President is a joke.

We have a good QB and a great receiver. Other than that, absolutely nothing.

It is an 8 team league for F sakes and we can't put an O'Line together for the love of god?

It shouldn't be this hard.

I disagree on the player talent. I think we have some good pieces on the field...aside from the secondary and Oline....and kicker position. Hervey needs to figure out the coaching issues and do everything in his power to upgrade the Canadian talent especially on the Oline. Its going to take some time unless their is a big free agent pool this off season. Fixing the secondary shouldn't be that hard...those imports are a dime a dozen.

As always, the teams with best Canadian talent(Oline especially) are the contenders. Unfortunately the Esks have not chosen wisely in that category. If any of Rottier, Hines, Mitchell, or O'Donnell were excelling the Esks would not be a 1 and 9 team. The margin of error in the CFL is so narrow. The Esks are not that far off....its fixable.